IBR 2012 - Women in senior management – still not enough
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Women remain underrepresented in senior management positions globally. The report found that women hold only 21% of senior management roles, similar to the 19% level in 2004. Regions with the highest representation of women in senior management are Russia (46%), Botswana, Thailand and the Philippines (all 39%), while Germany, India and Japan have the lowest levels (13%, 14%, and 5% respectively). While a growing body of research indicates that greater gender diversity in leadership can benefit business performance, women continue to face barriers to advancing to the highest levels of organizations.
IBR 2012 - Women in senior management – still not enough
- 1. GRANT THORNTON INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS REPORT 2012 Women in senior management: still not enough 19% 24% 24% 20% 21% 2004 2007 2009 2011 2012
- 2. The past 12 months have seen women take the lead in some of the toughest economic and political environments: Christine Lagarde became the first female to head the International Monetary Fund, Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, has emerged as the key figure in solving the eurozone sovereign debt crisis and Maria das Gracas Foster has taken over at Petrobras, becoming the first woman to run one of the world’s top five oil companies. Women also head governments in countries such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil and Thailand. This short report, based on our latest International Business Report (IBR), explores why this issue matters, the current state of play and what is being done about it. Key findings from the survey: • women hold one in five senior management roles globally, very similar to the level observed in 2004 • businesses in Russia, followed by Botswana, the Philippines and Thailand have the most women in senior management; those in Germany, India and Japan the least • less than one in ten businesses has a female CEO, with women largely employed in finance and human resources (HR) roles • many economies, especially in Europe, are choosing to implement quotas on the number of women on boards • no clear correlation between either flexible working practices or female economic activity and the proportion of women in senior management was found. Why it matters FIGURE 1: WOMEN IN BUSINESS AROUND THE WORLD PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN SENIOR MANAGEMENT Approximately one in every two people on the planet is female, yet the latest IBR finds that women hold barely more than one in every five senior management roles. The bearing and raising of children is usually cited as the major explanation of these statistics, but a growing body of research suggests that such imbalance in the boardroom can 18% North America be detrimental to business growth prospects. Research has shown that stronger stock market growth is more likely to occur where there are higher proportions of women on senior management teams1. Another study found that businesses with a greater proportion of women on their boards outperformed rivals in terms of returns on invested capital (66% higher), returns on equity (53% higher) and sales (42% higher)2. The positive influence of women is thought to extend into management and strategy. For example, mixed gender boards are thought to show better attention to audit and risk oversight and control3. 22% Latin America Further, a recent study by University of Leeds in the United Kingdom found that having at least one female board member reduced that business’s chances of folding by 20%, and having more than one reduced the odds even further4. 1 ‘Women Matter: gender diversity, a corporate performance driver’ – McKinsey & Company (2007). 2 ‘The Bottom Line: Corporate Performance and Women’s Representation on Boards’ – Lois Joy, Nancy M Carter, Harvey M Wagener, Sriram Narayanan, Catalyst, 2007 3 ‘Women on Boards: Not Just the Right Thing…But the “Bright” Thing’ – Conference Board of Canada (2002) 4 ‘Women in the boardroom help companies succeed’ – Professor Nick Wilson LUBS reported in the Times, 19 March, 2009 SOURCE: GRANT THORNTON IBR 2012 2 Women in senior management
- 3. “It is important that businesses understand the benefits that a more gender balanced decision- making process can provide to growth prospects.” MADELEINE BLANKENSTEIN GRANT THORNTON BRAZIL % 46 Russia 24% Europe 25% China 14% 5% % 31Turkey India Japan 32% 24% % 28 South Africa ASEAN Australia 28% New Zealand Women in senior management 3
- 4. FIGURE 2: LITTLE CHANGE SINCE 2004 PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN SENIOR MANAGEMENT GLOBALLY 26 24 24 24 22 21 20 20 19 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2004 2007 2009 2011 2012 SOURCE: GRANT THORNTON IBR 2012 The state of play the BRIC economies held by women, compared to Women have made progress in the wider workforce just 18% in the G7. South East Asia (ASEAN) has over recent years; since 1970 the proportion of the highest level of female participation (32%), women in the mature market workforce has risen ahead of the EU (24%), Latin America (22%) and from 48% to 64%5. However, whilst male and North America (18%). female graduates are recruited in almost equal At the country level, Russia emerges as the numbers by businesses, the proportion of women country with the highest proportion of women in the top jobs around the world is very low. Just in senior management (46%), followed by 3% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women6. Just 14.9% Botswana, the Philippines and Thailand (all 39%). of corporate board members in FTSE 100 In Russia, the sex ratio favours females, with 1.2 companies are female, although this is up from women for every man. This, together with the 12.5% in 20107 and in the wider FTSE 350, just promotion of women to demonstrate ‘equal 10% of 2,775 directors are female, and 40% have opportunity’ in the former Soviet Union9, helps all-male boards8. South Africa has seen the explain why women have picked up so many proportion of women on boards of JSE listed jobs in rapidly expanding services sectors, such companies more than double since 2004, but they as health, education and accountancy, over the still represent less than one in six of all members. past 20 years. The IBR survey, which encompasses both listed Meanwhile in Botswana, the Philippines and and privately held businesses, barely offers a Thailand, the tendency for families to live with or brighter picture of female involvement in senior near parents and grandparents provides in-built management globally. It indicates that 21% of childcare infrastructure, allowing mothers to go out senior management roles globally are held by and work. At the other end of the spectrum are women, a figure which – despite much talk – has countries with relatively patriarchal cultures where barely changed since 2004 (19%). the proportion of women in senior management is The regional picture shows some interesting much lower, such as Japan (5%), India (14%) and variations, with 26% of senior management roles in the United Arab Emirates (15%). 5 ‘Still struggling’ – The Economist http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/11/working-women 6 ‘Closing the gap’ – The Economist http://www.economist.com/node/21539928 7 ‘Record Numbers of Women in UK boardrooms’ – The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jan/10/record-numbers-of-women-on-uk-boards?newsfeed=true 8 Corporate Governance Review 2011 – Grant Thornton UK 9 ‘Women’s role in the Soviet Union: ideology and reality’ Alice Schuster 10 A phenomenon where the working age population increases relative to older and younger generations, increasing potential output 4 Women in senior management
- 5. FIGURE 3: RUSSIA LEADING THE WAY PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN SENIOR MANAGEMENT “It remains to be seen whether the government Russia 46 target of having one in four seats on the board Botswana 39 of FTSE100 companies occupied by women Thailand 39 will be met by 2015. But recent improvements Philippines 39 are encouraging.” Georgia 38 Italy 36 FRANCESCA LAGERBERG GRANT THORNTON UK Hong Kong 33 Turkey 31 Poland 30 Malaysia 28 New Zealand 28 South Africa 28 Finland 27 Armenia 27 By contrast, in mainland China, women hold one in four senior management roles, although this Taiwan 27 has dropped off from one in three 12 months Vietnam 27 previously. This might be a sign that as China Peru 27 becomes richer, families become less financially Brazil 27 constrained, and mothers therefore choose to China (mainland) 25 pursue a higher quality of life by opening their own micro businesses or leaving the workforce Canada 25 altogether. It could also be that as China loses the Australia 24 boost of its demographic transition10 and Spain 24 dependency rates increase, more mothers are being France 24 forced to give up work to look after both younger Singapore 23 and older relatives. Mass urbanisation in China also means that families move away from the support Sweden 23 networks that provide childcare, further lessening Switzerland 22 the ability of mothers to work their way up to Chile 21 senior positions. Ireland 21 In fact, emerging markets across the world have Greece 21 seen declines in the proportion of women in senior management roles; the averages for the ASEAN, Belgium 21 APAC, BRIC and Latin American economies have United Kingdom 20 all declined since 2009. Argentina 20 Mexico 18 Netherlands 18 United States 17 PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN SENIOR MANAGEMENT GLOBALLY: United Arab Emirates 15 % 21 Denmark 15 India 14 Germany 13 Japan 5 SOURCE: GRANT THORNTON IBR 2012 Women in senior management 5
- 6. The participation of women in senior management is a hot FIGURE 4: TOP 10 ECONOMIES PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN SENIOR MANAGEMENT topic in Europe. As the sovereign debt crisis rumbles on, commentators have asked whether more women in the boardrooms of major financial institutions would have averted or at least lessened its impact – Christine Lagarde, Head of the Russia 46% IMF and former Finance Minister of France commented: “if Bots Lehman Brothers had been ‘Lehman Sisters’, today’s economic Th wan crisis clearly would look quite different”11 and high-flying UK aila a 39 nd Ph financier, Nicola Horlick, said: “although most women don’t ilip 39 % pin want to be in the City, if they had been there, we wouldn’t % Ge es org 39 have had the same problems.”12 ia 38 % % Interestingly, Europe does seem to have made some steady Italy 36% progress, an interesting counterbalance to the situation in emerging markets where female take up of senior roles seems Hong K ong 33% to be on the decline. In 2004, just 17% of senior management roles were held by women, climbing to 20% in 2009 and 24% Turkey 31% this year. Businesses in Italy (36%) and Poland (30%) d 30% particularly employ relatively large numbers of women in Polan % senior management. In the Nordic region, Finland (27%) and 28 sia M alay Sweden (23%) are well ahead of Demark (15%). Spain (up from 14% in 2004 to 24% in 2012) has seen dramatic improvement over recent years, ahead of France (21% to 24%) and the United Kingdom (18% to 20%). SOURCE: GRANT THORNTON IBR 2012 However, the regional economic superpower, Germany, stands out in this regard; just 13% of senior management roles FIGURE 5: BOTTOM 10 ECONOMIES are held by women, slightly down from 16% in 2004. Some of PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN SENIOR MANAGEMENT the most generous maternity leave in the world – German law gives mothers the right to a position with their employer for up to three years after a pregnancy – may help explain this UK 20% situation. A long gap in any employee’s work experience may Arge prevent them from seriously pursuing senior management Me ntina xic Ne roles. o1 20% th er 8% 8% The United States too has shown very little progress since US lan 17 ds % 2004, with the proportion of women in senior management 1 UAE actually falling to 17% this year, down from 20% in 2004. North 15% of the border, one in four senior management roles in Canadian Denma rk 15% businesses are held by women. In Latin America, the picture is India 14% fairly mixed with more than one in four senior management any 1 3% Germ % roles held by women in Brazil and Peru (both 27%), ahead of an5 Jap Chile (21%), Argentina (20%) and Mexico (18%). Globally, 34% of businesses have no women in senior management, roughly the same as the 2009 figure (35%). SOURCE: GRANT THORNTON IBR 2012 However, this is largely driven by businesses in mature markets; 40% of those in the G7 have no women in senior management, compared to just 18% in the BRIC economies. Similarly, businesses in Europe (38%) and North America (30%) are behind their peers in ASEAN (20%) and APAC (excl. Japan, 19%) on this measure. 11 ‘Lagarde: What If It Had Been Lehman Sisters?’ – New York Times http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/05/11/lagarde-what-if-it-had-been-lehman-sisters/ 12 ‘It’s easy to demonise banhers’ Alice Thomson interview with Nicola Horlick – The Times 6 Women in senior management
- 7. FIGURE 6: FEMALE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY RATES VS PARTICIPATION IN SENIOR MANAGEMENT Lower female participation rates Higher female participation rates More women in senior management More women in senior management Russia Thailand Botswana Philippines Georgia Italy Hong Kong Turkey Poland New Zealand Malaysia Finland Vietnam South Taiwan Brazil/Armenia Africa Peru France Canada China (mainland) Australia Spain Singapore Sweden Chile Ireland Switzerland Belgium Greece UK Mexico Argentina Netherlands US India Denmark UAE Germany Japan Lower female participation rates Higher female participation rates Fewer women in senior management Fewer women in senior management SOURCE: GRANT THORNTON IBR 2012, UNITED NATIONS 2011 Economic activity Turkey (24%) and the United Arab Emirates As shown earlier with Russia, one factor (42%) have amongst the lowest female participation influencing the proportion of women in senior rates of economies included in the survey, however management is the number of females who are both have shown significant progress over the past economically active. Female economic activity rates 12 months. In Turkey, 31% of senior management are fairly mixed globally. The two fastest growing roles are held by women, up from 25% in 2011. large economies in the world have vastly differing Relatively few of the top jobs are held by women in rates: the proportion of female adults in the labour the United Arab Emirates (15%) but this is up from force in China is 67%, falling to 33% in India. just 7% 12 months previously. The results suggest Similarly in the G7, Canada tops the pile at 63%, that the wave of economic liberalisations in the with Italy bringing up the rear on just 38%. Middle East as a result of the Arab Spring could have boosted the chances of women in the region reaching the top. However, a clear correlation between the two does not emerge (see figure 6). Whilst economies such as India, Japan and Mexico have both low ERCENTAGE OF BUSINESSES WITH NO WOMEN IN SENIOR female economic activity rates and low proportions MANAGEMENT GLOBALLY: of women in senior management, in Italy and Turkey low female participation rates are turned % 34 into a higher proportion of women in senior roles, suggesting a much deeper blend of cultural issues. Women in senior management 7
- 8. FIGURE 7: AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSES ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE LED BY A WOMAN “The percentage of women in political and PERCENTAGE OF BUSINESSES WITH A FEMALE CEO other leadership roles is too small. Quotas Australia 30 and other special measures open more space Thailand 29 for women’s participation.” Italy 24 Argentina 23 UNITED NATIONS ENTITY FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND THE EMPOWERMENT Taiwan 20 OF WOMEN Spain 18 Peru 15 France 15 Georgia 15 Mexico 15 Russia 15 Vietnam 14 Poland 13 Roles held by women Philippines 13 Globally, fewer than one in 10 businesses are led by women, Denmark 12 indicating that it is even harder for women to reach the very top of the business world. 9% of businesses have a female Chile 12 CEO, although this ranges from 15% in the ASEAN region to Germany 12 just 6% in North America. In the Asia Pacific region (excl. India 10 Japan) and Europe, 13% of businesses are led by a woman, Greece 10 ahead of Latin America, the Nordic region and the BRIC China (mainland) 9 economies (all 9%) and the G7 (8%). Australia emerges as the country with the highest Canada 9 proportion of female CEOs; three in 10 businesses are led by Switzerland 9 women, ahead of Thailand (29%), Italy (24%) and Argentina Finland 9 (23%). Botswana, Brazil and Japan (all 3%) perform worst on Turkey 9 this measure, with the United Kingdom and the United States Armenia 9 (both 6%) not far ahead. South Africa 8 Women are best represented in finance and human resources positions. In terms of finance, 13% of businesses Singapore 8 have female Chief Financial Officers (CFO), and a further Hong Kong 7 13% of businesses employ women in other senior finance Netherlands 7 roles such as Corporate Controller. More than one in four Belgium 7 businesses in APAC (excl. Japan), Nordic and BRIC Sweden 7 economies employ a female CFO. At the country level, businesses in Taiwan (48%), mainland China (39%), Sweden Malaysia 6 (37%) and Finland (31%) are most likely to employ a woman United States 6 as CFO. United Kingdom 6 Ireland 5 New Zealand 5 United Arab Emirates 5 Japan 3 Brazil 3 Botswana 3 SOURCE: GRANT THORNTON IBR 2012 8 Women in senior management
- 9. PERCENTAGE OF FEMALE CEOS GLOBALLY: % 9 A further 21% of businesses employ women in senior HR roles. These roles are more common for “The roles women perform are very women in North America (22%) and Europe concentrated around finance and Human (21%) than those in finance. Senior management roles within HR are held by large proportions of Resources. We would like to see more women women in Poland (39%), France (37%), the leading companies and support any efforts to Philippines (34%), Hong Kong and Russia (both help them achieve this.” 33%). A further 12% of businesses have a female NICOLE BRADLEY Chief Operating Officer – rising to 45% in GRANT THORNTON AUSTRALIA mainland China – whilst just 8% of businesses employ women as their head of sales or head of marketing. FIGURE 8: TOP WOMEN MOST LIKELY TO BE EMPLOYED IN FINANCE AND HR PERCENTAGE OF BUSINESSES EMPLOYING WOMEN IN EACH ROLE 22 21 20 18 16 14 13 13 12 12 10 9 8 8 8 6 5 5 4 3 2 0 Human Chief Other finance Chief Chief Head Chief Chief Office/ Partner Resources Financial director Operating Executive of Sales Marketing Information General Director Officer (CFO) (eg Controller) Officer (COO) Officer (CEO) Officer (CMO) Officer (CIO) Manager SOURCE: GRANT THORNTON IBR 2012 Women in senior management 9
- 10. What is being done FIGURE 9: HEAD TO SCANDINAVIA FOR A FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULE Much debate in Europe has recently surrounded a proposal PERCENTAGE OF BUSINESSES OFFERING FLEXIBLE from the European parliament to introduce a quota of 40% WORKING on the number of women directors on supervisory boards by Finland 89 2020 – the European Union’s Justice Chief Viviane Reding Sweden 85 commented: “I am not a great fan of quotas. However, I like the Denmark 82 results they bring13.” The two-fifths target would represent a New Zealand 81 significant increase on the one-tenth currently observed in large listed businesses across the EU. It follows the introduction of Netherlands 81 a similar quota in Norway which now has the highest Vietnam 78 representation of females on boards in the developed world14. Australia 77 Many countries in Europe are taking their own actions. In Switzerland 77 Spain, a gender equality law was passed in 2007 obliging Germany 76 businesses with more than 250 employees to have at least 40% Thailand 69 women on their boards by 2015. In France, a bill has been passed requiring 40% of board members to be women in six years for United Kingdom 67 listed businesses and nine years for non-listed businesses. Peru 66 In Italy, Consob, the Italian Companies and Exchange Philippines 66 Commission, recently enforced a resolution requiring that all India 66 listed companies guarantee a gender balance on their boards, Spain 63 with a system of sanctions that could be applied, should companies fail to comply with the regulations. In the United United States 62 Kingdom, the government has called for at least 25% of FTSE Canada 61 100 boards to be made up of women by 2015. Turkey 60 Outside of Europe, in Canada, Québec passed legislation in Georgia 56 2006 requiring gender parity on the boards of its state-owned Mexico 56 enterprises which then comprised just 28% women; the 50% target was reached in December 2011. In Australia, reporting United Arab Emirates 55 guidelines in operation since 2010 require businesses to disclose Ireland 55 the proportion of women on their boards whilst there have Belgium 55 been calls to introduce a 30% quota15. And in South Africa, a France 54 ‘Gender Equality Bill’ due to be presented this year proposes Italy 53 giving the government the power to force companies to appoint women to half of all top positions16. Poland 52 Direct legislation has its critics – a recent article in The Botswana 49 Economist called quotas a “bad idea”17 – and Lord Davies, Brazil 45 author of the United Kingdom government’s recent ‘Women Russia 43 on boards’ report, has called the EU proposals a “mistake”18 – Hong Kong 43 so providing the right environment to allow women to juggle both children and work commitments is often championed as Chile 41 a means of keeping women in the workforce, and allowing South Africa 39 them to progress to take on the top jobs. Armenia 37 Argentina 37 13 Greece 31 ‘EU Considers Quotas as Firms Fail to Add Female Corporate Board Members’ – Bloomberg, 5 March 2012 Malaysia 30 14 MEPs back quota for women on boards – Financial Times http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ff8d546c-a7f0-11e0-afc2- Singapore 30 00144feabdc0.html#axzz1j3Wx59Ua 15 ‘Hockey backs quota for women on boards’ – ABC News China (mainland) 24 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-03-08/hockey-backs-quota-for-women-on- boards/2665968 Taiwan 17 16 ‘Half of top jobs must go to women’ Times Live http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article1107000.ece/Half-of-top-jobs-must-go-to-women Japan 16 17 ‘Still lonely at the top’ – The Economist http://www.economist.com/node/18988694 18 ‘Davies calls women directors quota a mistake’ – Financial Times http://www.ft.com/cms/ SOURCE: GRANT THORNTON IBR 2012 s/0/b8b2be1c-6486-11e1-b30e-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1oF8MIaTW 10 Women in senior management
- 11. FIGURE 10: FLEXIBLE WORKING – A CULTURAL ISSUE PERCENTAGE OF BUSINESSES 85 65 62 53 55 52 49 40 36 32 24 26 24 23 22 21 18 18 APAC ASEAN BRIC EU G7 Latin America Nordic North America Global excl.Japan FLEXIBLE WORKING WOMEN IN SENIOR MANAGEMENT SOURCE: GRANT THORNTON IBR 2012 However, the IBR was unable to uncover a It should be noted that whilst the participation strong correlation between the proportion of of women in senior management has been rising women in business and the availability of flexible steadily in Europe, where flexible working is fairly working practices – such as working from home or common, over the past few years, it has been variable hours. Japanese businesses came bottom declining in emerging markets as a whole, for both provision of flexible working practices suggesting that such practices could help reverse the (offered by just 16% of businesses) and women in trend in these economies. However, the data senior management, but a distinct trend is not suggest that the conundrum of how to encourage obvious. For example, 85% of businesses in the and facilitate women to take up senior management Nordic nations offer flexible working but women roles cannot be solved simply by the provision of hold just 23% of senior management roles. flexible working arrangements. Similarly, businesses in Germany (76%), the Quotas may not seem the ideal solution in United Kingdom (67%) and the United States (62%) everyone’s eyes – Sheryl Sandberg, COO of all offer above average levels of flexible working but Facebook, advocates women taking more control of are well behind in terms of female participation in their careers19 – but the lack of movement in the senior management. In Russia, just 43% of businesses IBR figures over the past decade supports the view offer flexible working – compared to the global that intervention should at least be considered. average of 52% – yet they have the highest proportion of women in senior management of the 40 economies surveyed. “In many ways, the Scandinavian countries have acted as trailblazers in terms of promoting women to senior management roles, but there are still too few women on the boards of major companies. The quotas imposed by our neighbours in Norway and are now being looked at throughout the EU.” LENA MÖLLERSTRÖM NORDING GRANT THORNTON SWEDEN 19 ‘Sheryl Sandberg: Why we have too few women leaders’ http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/sheryl_sandberg_why_we_have_too_few_women_leaders.html Women in senior management 11
- 12. The Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) is a quarterly survey of 3,000 senior executives in listed and privately held businesses all over the world. Launched in 1992 in nine European countries the report now surveys 12,000 businesses leaders in 40 economies on an annual basis providing insights on the economic and commercial issues affecting companies globally. The data in this report are drawn from 6,000 interviews with business leaders conducted between November 2011 and February 2012. To find out more about IBR and to obtain copies of reports and summaries visit: www.internationalbusinessreport.com. Participating economies Argentina Malaysia Armenia Mexico Australia Netherlands Belgium New Zealand Botswana Peru Brazil Philippines Canada Poland Chile Russia Mainland China Singapore Denmark South Africa Finland Spain France Sweden Georgia Switzerland Germany Taiwan Greece Thailand Hong Kong Turkey India United Arab Emirates Ireland United Kingdom Italy United States Japan Vietnam IBR contacts April Mackenzie Dominic King Global head governance and public policy Research T +1 212 542 9789 T +44 (0)207 391 9537 E [email protected] E [email protected] www.gti.org www.internationalbusinessreport.com © 2012 Grant Thornton International Ltd. All rights reserved. References to “Grant Thornton” are to the brand under which the Grant Thornton member firms operate and refer to one or more member firms, as the context requires. Grant Thornton International and the member firms are not a worldwide partnership. Services are delivered independently by member firms, which are not responsible for the services or activities of one another. Grant Thornton International does not provide services to clients.